When you hear the name American Eagle Basketball Goals you probably envision something in red, white and blue with a heavy Serif font to give it a traditional feel.  But this product is anything but traditional and so one of Jenna’s challenges was to give them a logo which would make them stand out as well.  Her other challenge was to give them something which would look equally good on top of a web page or on the product itself.

The design process started as she searched for images of an eagle.  The one she selected is strong, but not a literal image of an eagle with arms outstretched that seem to wrap around the image of the ball.  While she did retain a fairly traditional blue, there was no place for red in this design.  Instead she selected a shade of orange which is similar to the actual color of a basketball.   The clear contrast of the colors is striking on their website and in print.

The font choices are also somewhat unexpected. Instead of a very heavy serif font, Jenna selected Go Long  for the words American Eagle.  The very straight line looks like the lines of a basketball goal.  The word Goals is turned on it’s side to frame the logo.  And the choice of Christopher Hand font gives a fun, playful feel to the design.

The website is complete and the logo looks great on the page.  We can’t wait to see how this logo will look on their new goals.

This logo was designed by the team at Roundpeg, an Indianapolis graphic design firm.

With the launch of our new website this summer, we made several modifications to our brand. We moved to a very fresh, sophisticated and understated  look. Gone is the handwriting font, the circles and clutter. Our business cards needed to change to match the new look.

The problem – I loved the card Taylor designed in 2009 the last time we updated our website. The blue background was dramatic. The circular layout of the content was fun and distinctive. Even two years later, I haven’t seen anything quite like it. In addition, we had equity in the design because all of us have been very active at networking events, handing out hundreds of those cards.

So I challenged the design team to develop a concept that had the fresh, understated look of the web site, but still felt like Roundpeg. It took several months because nothing seemed quite right, and because we were constantly getting distracted by client projects. As we got close, we printed several small test runs and tweaked the design until we were completely satisfied. Everyone contributed to the design;  there is a piece of all of us in this new card, and I love the final product.

We eliminated some of the contact information to unclutter the front. Gone is fax number.  We get so few anymore, it seems silly to have that number on the card.  We also eliminated the personal cell phone numbers.  The team felt this allowed them some separation between personal and business time and the ability to control which clients could reach them after hours.

My favorite addition is our “RP”.  When I transfered the @roundpeg twitter account to the business, I changed the avatar from a picture of me to this graphic.  It is also the corner image on our Facebook fan page. Adding it to the card helped to unify our identity elements.

Although we have lost the distinctive circular layout, the rounded corners make the cards feel like us. Our cards have changed a lot over the years, as our company has changed.  This latest iteration fits who we are today.  We will be printing new cards for everyone, just in time for the new year!

There is a first time for everything at Roundpeg, even cute jungle animals. At Roundpeg, we often design logos for very professional clients, such as law offices, manufacturing companies and other more traditional marks. Designing a logo for a company which sells children’s products was really different, but it wound up being a lot of fun.

When Ed Martin of Martin Concepts first approached us about designing his logo he had a pretty clear idea of what he wanted. Martin Concepts manufactures a products for babies, so I wanted to make sure this logo was youthful and fun. He was set on having an animal of some sort, and even came prepared with some clipart he had purchased in hopes  we could use it. I was able to create a cleaner, more personalized version of the clipart he provided, which happened to be a hippo.

Oddly enough, this was not my first time incorporating a hippo into a logo, so I sort of knew what to expect. The challenge for me was keeping the hippo simple, but giving it enough detail to make it clear it was representing a product for babies. This was achieved using lighter colors and and also adding a pacifier. Once the hippo graphic was complete the font was an easy decision. I chose the font Cookies, not just for its awesome name, but because the round letters reminded me of the shapes in the hippos body. The final version ended up being a good balance of fun and simple, and I think it will be an interesting addition to our logo collection.

This is just one example of logos designed by Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Graphic Design Firm

The EAC had been using a stodgy, brown and black text treatment. As the organization changed, this old-fashioned logo no longer described who they were.

We freshened the logo with bright, energetic colors, and used the arrow to represent upwards motion to reflect the EAC’s role in propelling entrepreneurs forward.

Window Makeover, a window restoration company located in Indiana, came to us as the company was expanding into a national franchise. They wanted a new logo which worked well in print, on uniforms and on vehicles. We created a logo with a versatile font and color scheme to suit these needs. You can view the Window Makeover website here.

This is the front and back of their business card.  The vertical design was chosen because it looks more like a window.

This card was designed by Roundpeg, an Indianapolis graphic design firm.  Our services include logo, business card and web design.

The Roundpeg office sits just a few hundred yards away from the Carmel town limits. People frequently get lost trying to find us, assuming we’re in Carmel. While we’re in Indianapolis, many of our clients are Carmelites, and they often run into a big problem: they want to look high-end, but don’t want people to think they’re expensive.

For those of you not from Indiana, Carmel is a suburb just to the north of Indianapolis. It’s also one of the wealthiest towns in the nation. Bentleys and BMWs cruise the streets, designer clothes are de rigeur, and shops and restaurants love words like “gourmet,” “artisanal,” and “boutique.” That’s why it’s so important for businesses to have beautiful buildings, stunning interior design, and fancy names. Appearances are everything in Carmel.

But at the same time, people in Carmel don’t want to waste money, either. Sure, they may be willing to splurge on a pair of designer jeans, but they don’t want to pay more for their oil change than the regular Joes do down in Indianapolis. So what’s a business owner to do to balance upscale tastes with value-based prices?

• Logo: If you have a fancy building or storefront, consider using a more playful, informal logo. This will help you seem more approachable, while still letting your facility speak for itself. Consider using colors like orange, yellow, and brown: they’re seen as “less expensive” colors.
• Discounts: This is a controversial move, but if you’re really serious about being seen as an affordable provider, consider offering discounts, coupons, or deals. This move can get the budget-conscious in the door–then it’s up to you to keep them.
• Adapt: It’s very difficult (if not impossible) to play this balancing act. Everyone dreams of having the Coach purse for the Target price, but when it comes to communicating this principle of “affordable quality” in the few words of a Facebook update, an ad, or a logo, it can be a losing battle. You may just have to choose between being seen as low-cost and high-class in your marketing. Once your tactic draws folks through the doors, you can wow ‘em with the other half of the equation.

How do you deal with the Carmel Conundrum?

A logo is an important first impression of your company.  This is true for large businesses and small businesses as well.   A strong visual brand makes your company more memorable to clients and the general business community.  As an artist, I love great logo designs.

About a month ago I read a post on Logo Design Love in which the author shared some of his favorite logo designs and invited readers to do the same.  Many of the logos suggested by his readers are well known national brands, but there is great design here in Indiana as well.

There are Indiana companies large and small with great logos. Some of them, we have designed, others were designed by friends and competitors, and some, have been around longer then I have.

So what are you favorite Indiana logos.  What local brands have made a visual impression on you?

Last month, the Roundpeg team took part in Startup Weekend, Indianapolis.  This was an intensive, weekend event, in which 57 strangers came together, and formed seven companies by Sunday night.

Much of the early part of the weekend was spent brainstorming; talking about customers, problems, technology and solutions. But somewhere around Saturday afternoon, each team began to look at their branding.   As internet based companies ( with the exception of GnomadDesk) their logo will be the most “tangible” representation of who they are.

The results are amazing as the graphic designers gave strong consideration to how the logos will be seen used.  While we normally spend several weeks working with small business owners to develop their brand and logo, it was fun to see how quickly the teams could come to agreement on a visual image.

EatDrink.it: mobile-web app for easily browsing, sharing, & remembering restaurant meal reviews.

Since  the  user will experience EatDrink.It primarily from their cell phone the logo was designed to display well from mobile applications.  The simple horizontal design, which will be visible on every screen will not overpower the important user content.

GnomadDesk is a portable desk that attaches to any roller bag to become an instant office

This bright colored logo translates well into an create an eye-catching luggage tag, or a simple embossed design on the product itself.   I really like the clever use of the G to represent both the person and the product.  This also creates a terrific avatar for social media

Likedity enhances your social life by providing recommendations relevant to your interests and location.

The bright colors of the likedity logo convey the sense of fun, the software is designed to bring to the users life.  The brightly colored dots connect the two parts of the logo, just as likedity will eventually connect users with their city and others with common interests.

Notesee – A conference note sharing community with intent to bring technology conference knowledge to the masses.

The bright colored background of the notesee logo is a sharp contrast to the blues and grays of many conference websites.   The small “note” design can work well as a stand alone graphic as well, giving the team tremendous flexibility.

Scigle aggregates scientific information, going beyond traditional indexes by providing contextual search and information analysis.

Perhaps the most complex of the products developed at Startup Weekend, the Scigle team as captured the essence of what their product does in a simple graphic.    The connected dots immediately convey to the viewer the scientific nature of the data bases they organize.

StatsSquared is a tool to analyze and compare multiple twitter accounts.

Strong and simple, just like the application, this logo  is designed to be an avatar.  When you consider the primary purpose of the software is to analyze twitter performance, the primary requirement was a logo which worked perfectly in that application.   This logo delivers.

WaitMate is the first mobile point-of-sale system built specifically for full-service restaurants.

This logo will ultimately live on the actual product.  Like EatDrinkIt, the logo will need to be visible, without being distracting.    The clever use of the “8″ to replace the actual letters creates a strong social media avatar and the green colors feel like a fresh salad!

So how did each of the teams come up with such strong designs so quickly?  One of the keys was clarity. In each instance, the designers understood brand mission, customer definition and typical uses of the brand.

These elements should be the groundwork of any brand design project.

Creative. Innovative. Organized.

Those can be three tough words to illustrate in one logo.  That was the challenge we took on in the design of a new logo for Streamline by Design.

Streamline by Design is a professional organizing company.   When Leslie, the owner, came to us, she just had a text treatment. We fleshed it out to create a true logo which she can use to build her brand across brochures, web, and all of her other collateral.

Although Leslie came to us with a specific vision, she liked shades of blue and boxes, she was also incredibly open to our ideas. We went back and forth with tweaks until we wound up with a logo she loved because it conveys the order that she brings to clients’  lives, but also a sophisticated and fun feeling.

The logo is really orderly, which is a big thing that Leslie wanted to do. The palette of blues is cool, but also give off a modern, professional air. The pattern of four squares in the logo also creates the idea of a “streamline,” which just reinforces her brand even more.

Both Leslie and all of us at Roundpeg are really happy with the outcome. I think this logo was successful because we took the time to sit down with Leslie and find out her preferences–serfied fonts, for instance–but also gently pushed her to stretch her horizons with new and interesting font choices. Through really getting to know the client, we struck a balance in her logo between the sleek lines and organization her logo needed to show, while still being soft and easy on the eyes.

Next, Jay is going to take the ball and help Leslie create the website of her dreams. Look out for more info on that soon.

The lesson for any small business owner looking to brand or re-brand their business: Invest the time to help the designer really get to know who you are and what your business wants to show the world.